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Phew. What a weekend.

The UPA officially cut ties with Quang Duong after repeated contract violations. The Dallas Flash stayed perfect, beating the St. Louis Shock to win the MLP Mid-Season Tournament. And Sinner took down Alcaraz in four sets to claim his first Wimbledon title.

But maybe the biggest news? You can now get a free pair of court shoes just for spreading the word. We’ve teamed up with Midwest Racquet Sports on a new referral reward — scroll to the bottom of the issue to get hooked up.

In This Issue:
— Why Quang Duong’s pro contract was terminated
— How and when to execute the Erne
— What it really costs to build a home court

Let’s all take a breath.

A mixed doubles match from MLP Grand Rapids pitted the New Jersey 5s against the Brooklyn Pickleball Team, which meant Meghan Dizon was across the net from her boyfriend AJ Koller. How’d she mark the moment? By firing a bodybag high off his chest, of course.

This year alone, The Dink Minor League Pickleball will host more than 250 events in 15 countries across five continents. Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Italy have even added independent leaderboards to raise the stakes and set the rivalries even higher. All roads lead to the National Championships this December in Dallas.

Anna Leigh is curious: Would you rather win a match but not hit a single shot, or hit every single shot and lose? When you really think about it, it’s a psychological brain-buster. Still, we’re leaning towards winning at all costs. Where do you stand?

With clearer power standards now in place, paddle brands are innovating to get as close to the line as possible. So what’s the hottest paddle in pickleball right now — the JOOLA Perseus Pro IV? The Ronbus Ripple V2? The Holbrook ARMA? Click the link below and let us know:

An Erne looks flashy, but it’s often the highest-percentage shot to win a point. It’s an advanced maneuver, but anyone can learn how it’s done. All you need is some court vision and a few tips to pull it off.

Jack Munro has been dicing pros with this shot for half his life. He walks through his best pointers with the help of fellow pro Len Yang.

✅ An Erne is executed by jumping the corner of the kitchen in order to make contact with the ball closer to the net than would otherwise be possible. It can be hit from either side, with your forehand or backhand.

✅ The most common time to attempt an Erne is when the player across from you is pulled out wide and forced to reset the ball middle, a defensive shot that often comes slower and higher over the net. As soon as their head drops to make contact, you should be airborne.

✅ There are all sorts of ways to initiate an Erne, but a winning attempt will often require you to plant hard and jump explosively across the kitchen line, typically making contact with the ball while you’re mid-flight.

✅ Setting up an Erne comes down to patterns. Your partner can aggressively dink cross-court in hopes of pulling that player into a bail-out shot. Or you can dink straight across from you out wide with the same intent. The trick is to lull your opponent into a dead dink or a soft reset shot.

✅ An effective area to aim your Erne is shallow, back across the kitchen. Naturally, your opponents will be on their heels playing defense once they realize what shot you’re attempting. A ball hit sharp and wide back through the kitchen is nearly impossible to get back.

✅ A successful Erne is all about the element of surprise. Attempt it every shot and it won’t be as impactful. But wait for a few key moments throughout a game and it can become a nearly indefensible weapon.

👉 Watch the full video.

Getting hooked on match point? That stings.

The drive that clips the net and trickles over? Brutal.

Walking through a live court during a point? Cardinal sin.

But you know what you shouldn’t feel salty about? Hydration.

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Buy any LMNT drink mix or sparkling pack now and get a free sample pack with all eight flavors.

Instead of competing with his LA Mad Drops team in the MLP Mid-Season Tournament, Quang Duong was in Vietnam, signing autographs, teaching clinics, and dancing on top of giant rocks.

It was reportedly the final breach of contract the UPA was willing to tolerate — on Saturday, they announced a full termination of Duong’s pro contract, effective immediately, for both MLP and PPA events.

The UPA’s statement, posted to Instagram, cited “multiple and repeated violations of the exclusivity terms” of their agreement. It went on:

"Despite numerous attempts to work with Duong and his team – including conversations, warnings, and fines – there have been continued and consistent misrepresentations of facts and contract breaches."

Duong was fined $50,000 in May and suspended from several upcoming events for competing in a non-UPA-sanctioned tournament in Vietnam, where he is undoubtedly extremely popular.

What happens to QD now? Who will the Mad Drops pick up to replace him, and how will this impact their playoff chances? And why did the UPA decide to void his contract rather than just fining him into oblivion?

👉 Read our full story for more.

Chris Olson of the Pickleball Studio has spent nearly a year living through a pickleball court build in his backyard. Now that it’s done, he posted a video with some key lessons learned. Here are a few that stand out:

👉 Watch Chris’ full breakdown.

Did anyone else catch the St. Louis Shock this weekend? Not just the play, which was electric, but the uniforms too. Clean, sharp, looked like they meant business.

Those weren’t just any kits. That’s MUEV. They’ve been outfitting the Shock all season, and honestly, they’ve been one of the more stylish teams on court.

Pretty cool that you can wear the same gear they do. MUEV’s got the full St. Louis Shock collection live now.

Use code THEDINK for 20% off.

The Major League Pickleball Mid-Season Tournament capped another successful year in Grand Rapids, MI. The stands were packed every day, the weather was pristine, and ESPN’s SportsCenter even made an appearance to soak it all in.

There were storylines galore.

In the end, new mid-season champions were crowned. Remember, points matter for the playoffs in August in New York City, so the stakes are far higher than just cash and bragging rights.

🥇 Dallas Flash — $50,000 team prize — 6 standing points awarded

🥈 St. Louis Shock — $25,000 team prize — 4 standing points awarded

🥉 New Jersey 5s — $12,500 team prize — 2 standing points awarded

🥇 Las Vegas Night Owls — $7,000 team prize awarded — 6 standing points awarded

🥈 Nashville Chefs — $3,500 team prize awarded — 4 standing points awarded

🥉 DC Pickleball Team — $2,000 team prize awarded — 2 standing points awarded

👉 Read our full event recap for more.

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